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France。　　There　are　certainly　some　symptoms　of　foresight　in　Alexander

that　France　might　produce　a　salutary　diversion　of　force　were　Austria

and　Prussia　to　become　her　enemies。　　France　too　is　the　natural　ally　of

the　Turk；　as　having　no　interfering　interests；　and　might　be　useful　in

neutralizing　and　perhaps　turning　that　power　on　Austria。　　That　a

re…acting　jealousy　too　exists　with　Austria　and　Prussia　I　think　their

late　strict　alliance　indicates；　and　I　should　not　wonder　if　Spain

should　discover　a　sympathy　with　them。　　Italy　is　so　divided　as　to　be

nothing。　　Here　then　we　see　new　coalitions　in　embrio　which　after

France　shall　in　turn　have　suffered　a　just　punishment　for　her　crimes；

will　not　only　raise　her　from　the　earth　on　which　she　is　prostrate；　but

give　her　an　opportunity　to　establish　a　government　of　as　much　liberty

as　she　can　bear；　enough　to　ensure　her　happiness　and　prosperity。　　When

insurrection　begins；　be　it　where　it　will；　all　the　partitioned

countries　will　rush　to　arms；　and　Europe　again　become　an　Arena　of

gladiators。　　And　what　is　the　definite　object　they　will　propose？　　A

restoration　certainly　of　the　status　quo　prius；　of　the　state　of

possession　of　89。　　I　see　no　other　principle　on　which　Europe　can　ever

again　settle　down　in　lasting　peace。　　I　hope　your　prophecies　will　go

thus　far；　as　my　wishes　do；　and　that　they；　like　the　former；　will　prove

to　have　been　the　sober　dictates　of　a　superior　understanding；　and　a

sound　calculation　of　effects　from　causes　well　understood。　　Some

future　Morgan　will　then　have　an　opportunity　of　doing　you　justice；　and

of　counterbalancing　the　breach　of　confidence　of　which　you　so　justly

complain；　and　in　which　no　one　has　had　more　frequent　occasion　of

fellow…feeling　than　myself。　　Permit　me　to　place　here　my　affectionate

respects　to　Mrs。　Adams；　and　to　add　for　yourself　the　assurances　of

cordial　friendship　and　esteem。







　　　　　　　　THE　WARD　SYSTEM




　　　　　　　　_To　Joseph　C。　Cabell_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　February　2；　1816_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR；　　Your　favors　of　the　23d　and　24th　ult。；　were　a　week

coming　to　us。　　I　instantly　enclosed　to　you　the　deeds　of　Capt。　Miller；

but　I　understand　that　the　Post　Master；　having　locked　his　mail　before

they　got　to　the　office；　would　not　unlock　it　to　give　them　a　passage。




　　　　　　　　Having　been　prevented　from　retaining　my　collection　of　the　acts

and　journals　of　our　legislature　by　the　lumping　manner　in　which　the

Committee　of　Congress　chose　to　take　my　library；　it　may　be　useful　to

our　public　bodies　to　know　what　acts　and　journals　I　had；　and　where

they　can　now　have　access　to　them。　　I　therefore　enclose　you　a　copy　of

my　catalogue；　which　I　pray　you　to　deposit　in　the　council　office　for

public　use。　　It　is　in　the　eighteenth　and　twenty…fourth　chapters　they

will　find　what　is　interesting　to　them。　　The　form　of　the　catalogue　has

been　much　injured　in　the　publication；　for　although　they　have

preserved　my　division　into　chapters；　they　have　reduced　the　books　in

each　chapter　to　alphabetical　order；　instead　of　the　chronological　or

analytical　arrangements　I　had　given　them。　　You　will　see　sketches　of

what　were　my　arrangements　at　the　heads　of　some　of　the　chapters。




　　　　　　　　The　bill　on　the　obstructions　in　our　navigable　waters　appears　to

me　proper；　as　do　also　the　amendments　proposed。　　I　think　the　State

should　reserve　a　right　to　the　use　of　the　waters　for　navigation；　and

that　where　an　individual　landholder　impedes　that　use；　he　shall　remove

that　impediment；　and　leave　the　subject　in　as　good　a　state　as　nature

formed　it。　　This　I　hold　to　be　the　true　principle；　and　to　this　Colonel

Green's　amendments　go。　　All　I　ask　in　my　own　case　is；　that　the

legislature　will　not　take　from　me　_my　own　works_。　　I　am　ready　to　cut

my　dam　in　any　place；　and　at　any　moment　requisite；　so　as　to　remove

that　impediment；　if　it　be　thought　one；　and　to　leave　those　interested

to　make　the　most　of　the　natural　circumstances　of　the　place。　　But　I

hope　they　will　never　take　from　me　my　canal；　made　through　the　body　of

my　own　lands；　at　an　expense　of　twenty　thousand　dollars；　and　which　is

no　impediment　to　the　navigation　of　the　river。　　I　have　permitted　the

riparian　proprietors　above　（and　they　not　more　than　a　dozen　or　twenty）

to　use　it　gratis；　and　shall　not　withdraw　the　permission　unless　they

so　use　it　as　to　obstruct　too　much　the　operations　of　my　mills；　of

which　there　is　some　likelihood。




　　　　　　　　Doctor　Smith；　you　say；　asks　what　is　the　best　elementary　book　on

the　principles　of　government？　　None　in　the　world　equal　to　the　Review

of　Montesquieu；　printed　at　Philadelphia　a　few　years　ago。　　It　has　the

advantage；　too；　of　being　equally　sound　and　corrective　of　the

principles　of　political　economy；　and　all　within　the　compass　of　a　thin

8vo。　　Chipman's　and　Priestley's　Principles　of　Government；　and　the

Federalists；　are　excellent　in　many　respects；　but　for　fundamental

principles　not　comparable　to　the　Review。　　I　have　no　objections　to　the

printing　my　letter　to　Mr。　Carr；　if　it　will　promote　the　interests　of

science；　although　it　was　not　written　with　a　view　to　its　publication。




　　　　　　　　My　letter　of　the　24th　ult。　conveyed　to　you　the　grounds　of　the

two　articles　objected　to　the　College　bill。　　Your　last　presents　one　of

them　in　a　new　point　of　view；　that　of　the　commencement　of　the　ward

schools　as　likely　to　render　the　law　unpopular　to　the　country。　　It

must　be　a　very　inconsiderate　and　rough　process　of　execution　that

would　do　this。　　My　idea　of　the　mode　of　carrying　it　into　execution

would　be　this：　Declare　the　county　_ipso　facto_　divided　into　wards　for

the　present；　by　the　boundaries　of　the　militia　captaincies；　somebody

attend　the　ordinary　muster　of　each　company；　having　first　desired　the

captain　to　call　together　a　full　one。　　There　explain　the　object　of　the

law　to　the　people　of　the　company；　put　to　their　vote　whether　they　will

have　a　school　established；　and　the　most　central　and　convenient　place

for　it；　get　them　to　meet　and　build　a　log　school…house；　have　a　roll

taken　of　the　children　who　would　attend　it；　and　of　those　of　them　able

to　pay。　　These　would　probably　be　sufficient　to　support　a　common

teacher；　instructing　gratis　the　few　unable　to　pay。　　If　there　should

be　a　deficiency；　it　would　require　too　trifling　a　contribution　from

the　county　to　be　complained　of；　and　especially　as　the　whole　county

would　participate；　where　necessary；　in　the　same　resource。　　Should　the

company；　by　its　vote；　decide　that　it　would　have　no　school；　let　them

remain　without　one。　　The　advantages　of　this　proceeding　would　be　that

it　would　become　the　duty　of　the　alderman　elected　by　the　county；　to

take　an　active　part　in　pressing　the　introduction　of　schools；　and　to

look　out　for　tutors。　　If；　however；　it　is　intended　that　the　State

government　shall　take　this　business　into　its　own　hands；　and　provide

schools　for　every　county；　then　by　all　means　strike　out　this　provision

of　our　bill。　　I　would　never　wish　that　it　should　be　placed　on　a　worse

footing　than　the　rest　of　the　State。　　But　if　it　is　believed　that　these

elementary　schools　will　be　better　managed　by　the　governor　and

council；　the　commissioners　of　the　literary　fund；　or　any　other　general

authority　of　the　government；　than　by　the　parents　within　each　ward；　it

is　a　belief　against　all　experience。　　Try　the　principle　one　step

further；　and　amend　the　bill　so　as　to　commit　to　the　governor　and

council　the　management　of　all　our　farms；　our　mills；　and　merchants'

stores。　　No；　my　friend；　the　way　to　have　good　and　safe　government；　is

not　to　trust　it　all　to　one；　but　to　divide　it　among　the　many；

distributing　to　every　one　exactly　the　functions　he　is　competent　to。

Let　the　national　government　be　entrusted　with　the　defence　of　the

nation；　and　its　foreign　and　federal　relations；　the　State　governments

with　the　civil　rights；　laws；　police；　and　administration　of　what

concerns　the　State　generally；　the　counties　with　the　local　concerns　of

the　counties；　and　each　ward　direct　the　interests　within　itself。　　It

is　by　dividing　and　subdividing　these　republics　from　the　great

national　one　down　through　all　its　subordinations；　until　it　ends　in

the　administration　of　every　man's　farm　by　himself；　by　placing　under

every　one　what　his　own　eye　may　superintend；　that　all　will　be　done　for

the　best。　　What　has　destroyed　liberty　and　the　rights　of　man　in　every

government　which　has　ever　existed　under　the　sun？　　The　generalizing

and　concentrating　all　cares　and　powers　into　one　body；　no　matter

whether　of　the　autocrats　of　Russia　or　France；　or　of　the　aristocrats

of　a　Venetian　senate。　　And　I　do　believe　that　if　the　Almighty　has　not

decreed　that　man　shall　never　be　free；　（and　it　is　a　blasphemy　to

believe　it；）　that　the　secret　will　be　found　to　be　in　the　making

himself　the　depository　of　the　powers　respecting　himself；　so　far　as　he

is　competent　to　them；　and　delegating　only　what　is　beyond　his

competence　by　a　synthetical　process；　to　higher　and　higher　orders　of

functionaries；　so　as　to　trust　fewer　and　fewer　powers　in　proportion　as

the　trustees　become　more　and　more　oligarchical。　　The　elementary

republics　of　the　wards；　the　county　republics；　the　States　republics；

and　the　republic　of　the　Union；　would　form　a　gradation　of　authorities；

standing　each　on　the　basis　of　law；　holding　every　one　its　delegated

share　of　powers；　and　constituting　truly　a　system　of　fundamental

balances　and　checks　for　the　government。　　Where　every　man　is　a　sharer

in　the　direction　of　his　ward…republic；　or　of　some　of　the　higher　ones；

and　feels　that　he　is　a　participator　in　the　government　of　affairs；　not

merely　at　an　election　one　day　in　the　year；　but　every　day；　when　there

shall　not　be　a　man　in　the　State　who　will　not　be　a　member　of　some　one

of　its　councils；　great　or　small；　he　will　let　the　heart　be　torn　out　of

his　body　sooner　than　his　power　be　wrested　from　him　by　a　Caesar　or　a

Bonaparte。　　How　powerfully　did　we　feel　the　energy　of　this

organization　in　the　case　of　embargo？　　I　felt　the　foundations　of　the

government　shaken　under　my　feet　by　the　New　England　townships。　　There

was　not　an　individual　in　their　State